Family, community remember Michael Brown

Mother of Michael Brown, Lesley McSpadden, mourns his death during his funeral services on Monday at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St.Louis.

Michael Brown was shot to death by Darren Wilson, a Ferguson police officer, on Aug. 9. (Source: MGN Online)

ST. LOUIS (RNN) - Thousands of mourners in St. Louis came to the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church for the funeral of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old whose death sparked a national conversation about the police's use of deadly force.

The church was filled to capacity of 2,500 as many came to celebrate and mourn Brown, with thousands more outside the church in 90 degree heat. Celebrities were in attendance, including Spike Lee, Snoop Dog and P. Diddy.

Representatives from the White House were in attendance, and civil rights activist Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy. Sharpton spoke boldly about racism, police actions, education, riots and how Michael Brown would want to be remembered.

“Michael Brown didn't want to be remembered as a riot, he wanted to be remembered as how we are going to deal with how we will police the United States," Sharpton said.

Michael Brown's step-mother, Cal Brown, said during the services that he had dreams of death days before he was killed.

"He pretty much prophesied his own death and didn't realize it," she said. "Mike Mike is an awesome man. He just wanted to go to college. He wanted to have a family but God had different plans."

"The 1787 three-fifths Amendment that said an African American was to be considered three-fifths of a man. But we declare here today, as we pay our final respects to Michael Brown, Jr., that he was not three-fifths of a citizen. He was an American citizen. And we will not accept three-fifths justice. We will demand equal justice for Michael Brown Jr."

At a rally on Sunday, Michael Brown Sr. requested that Monday be a day of peace, CNN reported, and crowds have complied.

"Tomorrow, all I want is peace while my son is being laid to rest," he said. "Can you please take a day of silence so we can lay our son to rest?"

Michael Brown died in Ferguson, MO, on Aug. 9 after being shot to death by police officer Darren Wilson under circumstances still under investigation.

In the aftermath of Michael Brown's death, Ferguson became the site of more than a week of protests that were at times violent, leading to arrests and the deployment of tear gas. Things in the community have since calmed down.